USI hosts Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis

Media and Communication Service

02/01/2018

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis assumed the leadership of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on November 1, 2017. He has chosen Lugano, city half way between Swiss Plateau and Milan, to present, on February 1, his first impressions of the tasks, responsibilities and challenges that await him as foreign minister. Choosing the Canton of Ticino for his first press conference, and inviting students, academics and citizens, is also a way to emphasise that to succeed, Switzerland's foreign policy needs support inside the country – including in regions like Italian-speaking Switzerland, where prudence is often called for.

Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), an academic institution which stands for Italian-speaking culture, openness to the world and innovation, will host Mr Cassis' '100-days' press conference.

The Rector of USI Boas Erez greeted the Federal Councillor with the following welcome address:

Università della Svizzera italiana is well rooted in its surrounding culture, but its students come from 100 different countries and two out of three of our professors come from abroad. Like all Swiss universities, we collaborate with entities and institutions all over the world and we support the local economy in many different ways. The network of our institutional relations is ever growing and it is beneficial for all of our partners and stakeholders. The research we foster is certainly sparked by genuine curiosity, we do claim the freedom to create, but we act responsibly. This is the university where we are today.